A slightly smaller Mess

Charles: 's what I do. *chuckles* If I don't, who will? Besides, this coming from the man who wanted to take on the warmaster.

Caiber: Alright, as you say. *goes to leave*

Mac: *shrugs* "I've done stupider things than threaten to fight space marines when my blood's up."

Jack: "Enjoy, try not to combust."

Akira: "Nope." *Gentle squeeze*

Max: *he smiles and rest his head against hers silently*

Charles: Even space marines would consider that one stupid.

Caiber: I'll try my best.

Mac: "Depends on the space marine, i suppose. The Lord Of Angels or someone."

*Jack is gone. As if into thin air*

*Akira just enjoys the moment.*

Caiber: Dante?

Caiber also

*As does Max* (Skip to when she's conscious?)

Mac: "Aye thats the one, or one of the salamanders. That massive one'd have a crack i bet."

*sure*

*The next day*

*akira wakes, expecting max beside her, and then remembers. Going through her morning routine, she gets a shower, dresses in her usual, a white shirt, the ornate carapace chestplate she took from some dead noblewoman, and combat boots. She then walks straight to the infirmary*

*She finds Max sitting quite comfortably on the bed reading several reports from yesterday's fighting*

"Pretty sure i told you, to rest."

"I did, woke up about 20 minutes ago"

"A shame, I am not sure of my cadre.... we were attacked in space, out-gunned, we were forced to abandon ship, I hold out hope for my men." He felt the weight of the weapon, little heavier than the lasgun, perhaps the barrel was larger... maybe the other components.

"I suppose that is their commanders failure, my failure."

Akira: "Good boy." *she walks over and sits in the chair by his bed* "So, reports say something other than Shitshow, in giant letters then?"

Jax: "There is a chance, at least." *He walks over to a locker, takes a key from his pocket, and unlocks it, taking out a sniper rifle. Its more than a metre long, with wooden furniture, a wide box magazine, a long scope, canted iron sights, and a bolt action.* "some of em will have made it if you did."

Max: *He nods* "Most of the wounded are slated to make a full recovery, so our losses are suprisingly low. Of my 500 I've lost barely 80, and while hundreds are wounded only a few will succumb to their injuries. The cargo we took from the cruisers will finance at least another 20 months of running our ship. Fuel is cheap, and ammunition cheaper. Those captains were bloody wealthy"
*He looks at her smiling*

Akira: "How about... for three ships?" *she smiles*

Max: "A little less than that, but it looks like they had recently resupplied so we're good for at least a little while"

Akira: "Hmmmn, I like having a fleet."

*As tyren and lyanna's ship draws closer to the planet, the vox crackles, and bursts into life, Imperial channel, a rather bored sounding pencil pusher speaks* +Unidentified vessel, you are not displaying an orbit permit... uhh.... please hold position in the outer sphere... a customs official will contact you in three to five business days to discuss the issuing of a permit.+

*On an iron warrior held world, down, deep in the sump, the lowest level, reality screams and tears. A tall man steps through the writhing split in the fabric of the materium, a mask covers his face, with a respirator, and glowing red eyepieces. He is wearing a knee length coat of some canvas like material, along with a skin tight shirt of glistening black, a chest rig containing various pouches and sheaths, dark gray combat trousers, and heavy black boots, the soles of which are splattered with darkening blood.*

*Near to an Iron Warriors ship, reality tears, and what appears at first glance to be a loyalist space marine ship enters realspace. but upon closer inspection, the ship has obviously been desecrated by the devotees of khorne. Spikes adorn its surface, of brass and black iron, and the whole vessel is the colour of congealed blood*

Max: "So do I, though we do need somewhere to put it"

Lyanna looks at tyren with a look of 'ugh. great.'

Laurence finds himself in what looks like a fairly typical underhive, with all that that entails

the ship, and its escorts, immediatly bring weapons and shields online with incredible efficiency

Tyren: "Maybe we can..."

*the vox crackles again* +Uhh... could you please state your names for the record? *Loud banging noise of a door being forced open, and a seat being thrown to the floor as someone stands up from it. "Excuse me this is highly irregu- *A gunshot interrupts him, the quiet cough of a suppressed weapon. The body thumps to the floor, and someone grunts as they move it out of the way, a female voice speaks up over the mic* "This is Lyanna speaking, correct?+

*Laurence wipes his boots on the floor to rid himself of some of the blood, and zips up his coat, walking towards the nearest person he sees*

Akira: "They're space ships... You put them in space."

*The iron warriors receive a vox request*

Max: *eyeroll* "We're gonna need a dockyard"

Lyanna: ....as a matter of fact it is....

said person is draped in a long cloak with their back to him.... and has horns. and are worryingly tall.

they answer, but do not reveal who is talking until the other party introduces themselves

+Good, move in and dock with this ship.+ *A transponder beacon code is sent*

*Laurence walks past the figure, palming a short, hooked knife in his right hand. He peers into the person's mind*

*The vox link comes with a pict feed of the ships bridge. The visuals would make lesser men gag. Corpses are strewn about, human and astartes. The humans in simple navy fatigues, where recognisable through the blood, and the astartes clad in deep navy blue armour, with black accents. Sat upon the command throne is a space marine, his power armour painted the same deep red of congealed blood, with accents of brass. The aquilla on his chest has been encircled with an eight pointed star, as if caging the bird with spikes* "Brothers..."

Akira: "Well, we have a planet to build one around."

+Affirmative...+

he finds it surprisingly well protected. And most of it portaining to a combination of tzeentch and a need for shiny things. the person also clearly notices as they perk up, turning around. At this moment laurence realises it's a tzaangor as it angrily squawks at him

all they see is the iron warriors symbol. they have not deigned to show their faces yet. "The fact you call us that means you must have no idea who we are..."

Max: "We sorta have to get to the planet first"

*The astartes leans forwards, leaning his forearms on his knees* "We know you, sons of the iron lord." *he looks over to one side, to someone out of the frame* "Iron lord? or lord of iron?"

??? "Blood!"

*He turns back* "Lord of iron it is."

*the beacon relates to an unassuming cargo vessel in low orbit. The vox link dies.*
Tyren: "We've not got much of a choice."

Laurence: *he brings the blade quickly up, ramming it into the warp creatures throat, clamping his other hand around its beak, and dragging it into the shadows of some ancient and rusted pipework*

Akira: "Details, details. How hard can repairing a dark age reactor really be?"

Max: "Not hard at all, just a little bit of radiation to deal with"

Lyanna sets the course

the creature squawks again as it flails and dies

+Then you should know you are unworthy of using that word, whelp.+

Akira: "Just enough to fry a man in half a second."

Laurence: "Shhh." *he lays the body down in the darkness, and looks out from his hiding space.*

Space marine: "What words are forbidden for use by the servants of the gods?"

???: "NONE! NONE SAVE ONE!"

*The cargo ship slowly turns its port side, broadside to them, exposing its docking port*

Max: "See only a small hurdle"

*no one has noticed or cares*

+*disgusted pause*.... get on with it. What do you want?+

*they dock*

+You sail to destroy the ultramarines, if i am not mistaken. We seek to join in the slaughter.+

Laurence: *dusts himself off, and walks out into the street, heading for the nearest entry to a higher level, he gleaned from the warp creatures dying mind.*

Tyren: "I'll suit up." *he walks from the bridge to the cargo bay, and climbs into his waiting shell.*

*The airlock beeps loudly, indicating that the docking corridor has been pressurised.*

Akira: "Well we just have to find someone with knowledge of dark age technology and... lets say terminator armour."

Max: "Pretty much, or we find out if the imperium had some half decent radiation resistant armour. I fixed this ship, I could probably fixed the hive given enough time"

+Is that so?+

*its a little while off, through a large amount of hab blocks and such*

Lyanna stands up and follows after tyren

"I can only hope." After a few pulls of the trigger, the difference was evident, recoil, if not small, but recoil none the less.

"I am still restless, I don't think it's shooting, maybe I just miss being shot at."

Jax: "You don't want to get shot at by this." *he pats the side of the rifle, as he holds it in an at ease stance* "But maybe you want to shoot it? It has more kick than any lasgun. Throne, lascannons included"

+Regardless of your plans, bloodshed shall draw them. If not, their loyalist brethren, and their blood will draw them+
*Off screen* "BLOOD?" "BLOOD!" "STRIP THE FLESH!" *there is the sound of hungry tearing, and new blood is sprayed across the seated astartes. he doesn't react to it*

*Tyren's autocannon spins. Once more encased in the mighty sarcophagus, he strides towards the airlock.* "Do not follow until i return. I will make safe the way. Protect her." *With that, he pushes the button of the airlock with his powerfist, surprisingly gently. and strides into the connecting corridor*

*Laurence moves through the streets with his head bowed, any inquisitive eyes are dissuaded by a gentle mental nudge*

Akira: "I think, this might be a little out of your scope darling."

+You will identify yourself.+

*there's a whole lot of downtrodden round here, along with the odd armoured fellow seeming to be on patrol*

Lyanna stands back and lets him go first.

Max: "Failing that, we do have a small fleet. We could tow it, the system isn't that far. Maybe 4 months, 6 tops if we can decelerate properly"

+I am Lord Antoniel Celmino. Of the Omega Guard.+

*He avoids the patrols, and heads for the route to the upper level.*

*The airlock slides shut behind him. Long minutes pass before he returns.* "They are laurence's people."

Akira: "Maybe thats the way... after all we only need to get there."

+Omega guard?+ *slightly incredulous tone*

*he finds the way blocked and guarded by armoured soldiers*

Lyanna: great. lets get this over with.

Max: "Exactly, though it may be wise to make sure we can colonise the planet. I don't want to go to all this effort and be rewarded with a toxic hell hole"

+We were formed to hold back the end. *he laughs* It seems appropriate that we will usher it in.+

*Laurence walks confidently towards them*

Tyren: "Do you not trust him?"

Akira: "You've got a point there."

Max: "I guess we have a choice then, do we return home for a break and revenge or do we set course for the planet?"

+...So you wish to aid us? You believe you are...worthy of fighting alongside us?+

Guard: Halt.

Lyanna: less than I'd like.

+I believe, the end of the rotting imperium, will come faster, and more blood be spilt, with us at your side.+ *From off screen, insane and manic cackling laughter rings out*

*Laurence stops, and looks the man dead in the eyes, slipping into his mind easily, and dredging forth an image of his superior officer*

Tyren: "it will have to be enough"

Akira: "Revenge."

+That did not answer my question.+

"Oh....sir." *looks at his companion* "Your excursion is not on record."

Lyanna: guess so.

Max: "Home it is"

Laurence: "Yes it is." *Another gentle mental nudge, and all the guards suddenly wonder why they didn't remember him walking out, not five minutes earlier*

+We will not disappoint on the battlefield. Khorne has blessed us fury beyond mortal means.+

*Tyren leads on, back over to the cargo ship*

Akira: "I know how we can do it..."

*confused looks*

+A lot of men make that claim+

Lyanna follows